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Monday, April 30, 2018

Gold Digger

Title: Gold Digger
Author: RB Hilliard
Genre: Standalone Romantic Comedy
Release Date: April 30, 2018
Blake Moreno doesn’t do relationships, ever.
With more money than he knows what to do with and his pick of beautiful women, he has no plans of becoming tied down.
Hadley Jacobs doesn’t have time for dating.
With plans to finish culinary school and to own her own bakery, she has her life all mapped out.
Blake thinks Hadley is infuriating...
Hadley thinks Blake is controlling...
Both couldn’t be more wrong.
When life throws them a curve ball, they have no choice but to catch it and to prove that in the end, love wins. Every. Time.

The minute I stepped into the bar, I spotted them. Hadley’s back was to me and, from where I was standing, it looked as if Belinda and Patrice were blocking her exit.  Since when were Belinda and Patrice friends? And where was Wayne? I started toward them. Bits and pieces of their conversation filtered in as I got closer.
“I’m sorry I took your friend’s job. I wasn’t aware the position had been offered to her,” Hadley told Belinda. “And I’m sorry that my piano playing skills were subpar, however, being that I’m a chef, this shouldn’t surprise you,” she directed at Patrice.
“I know why you’re here. I overheard Zane talking to Cathryn about it. You might be carrying Blake’s brat in your belly but take it from me when I say he isn’t going to take well to being trapped,” Patrice declared, right as I stepped up behind Hadley. Both Patrice and Belinda’s eyes jerked to me and bulged in surprise, but being that Hadley’s back was to me, she wasn’t aware of my presence.
“You’ve got me!” Hadley said, her tone laced with contempt and sarcasm. “Wow, you two are a regular Cagney and Lacey. Tell me, how did you figure it out? Because, really, I planned it so carefully.” Neither woman said a word. They just stood there staring at me. I, however, was highly entertained. Folding my arms over my chest, I waited to see what Hadley would say next. She didn’t disappoint.
“You know what this is about don’t you?” she whispered in a conspiratorial tone. “Blake thinks it’s about the baby, but it’s really about the money. I hear he’s loaded.” I silently chuckled when she expelled a wistful sounding sigh and followed it with, “I’ve always dreamed of being rich.” Both women jumped when she threw up her hands, and shouted, “Yep! Just call me gold digger!” On that note, she then turned to leave. A strangled shriek escaped when she smacked right into me. As she pressed her hands to my chest in order to keep from toppling over, the warmth of her touch seared through me.
“Blake!” she gasped, clearly shocked to find me standing there.
Before Hadley did something else, such as call Patrice Patsy again or refer to Belinda as Boobzilla—something I’d heard both she and Wayne do on more than one occasion—I reached for her hand. Ignoring Patrice and Belinda, who were still busy gawking at us, I said, “Come on, Gold Digger, we’re going to be late for our appointment,” and pulled her in the direction of the door. Right as we breached the threshold, I glanced back over my shoulder and gave the two vipers a look of warning, letting them know that we would be discussing this incident later.
“I didn’t see you standing there,” Hadley muttered, as we made our way toward the front of the hotel.
“Clearly,” I mused, while trying not to laugh at the scene I’d just witnessed. When she let out a disgusted sounding huff, I lost the battle and let the laughter roll. She responded with another huff and a face scrunch, and I thought, this woman is something else.
RB Hilliard lives in Charlotte, North Carolina with her husband and two children. In 2012 she began writing His End Game, the first book in her MMG Series. Hilliard has not only published six books in this series, but has gone on to publish Utterly Forgettable, a hilariously funny Romantic Comedy, as well as her Rock Star Romance Series, Meltdown.
HOSTED BY:

Out of Hiding



Out of Hiding
by John Feldman

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GENRE: Mystery/Thriller/Suspense

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BLURB:

Charles Dampor was supposed to be a blessing, but instead turned out to be a curse. A family torn by deception and greed now saw Emily for what she was, and a co-worker with a vicious past of his own now has his own personal vendetta against her. If Emily doesn't open her eyes and see the doors she's unlocked, she'll find herself at the bottom of Lake Bermin...with Charles's ex-wife.

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EXCERPT:

A minivan pulls in and up to the gas pump behind Herb. Three young children run out and into the store, their father following close behind, yelling for them to slow down.

Herb remains leaning against his car, right hand pinched under his left armpit and his left hand pushing the cigarette into his face—a minding-my-own-business look. He holds this pose until he senses a stationary figure out of the corner of his eye: the mom.        

Discreetly he looks over, then indiscreetly, and that’s when he sees the woman’s squinting and curious eyes on him. He drops the freshly-lit cigarette into the gravel and steps on the cherry, twisting his foot over top so not to blow up the ground he stands on.

Shit.

He lowers his head and pulls down the brim of his faded gray baseball hat to the top of his sunglasses. He holds the gas pump as the fluid pours past his hand and into the hunk of metal.

Look away or I’ll fucking kill you.

He can feel her still looking over at him and the gas cannot pump fast enough. He’s made it two states away and he’ll be damned if this one woman is the end of him. He’ll kill her right here if he has to. Right here in this parking lot. Let her nosey ass get a little closer and then slit her throat. Dump some gasoline on her smug body and watch her squirm until the life drains out of her. That’ll teach her to look over here.

She starts to walk toward him.

It’s not full yet, the tank, but he’s not taking any chances. He removes the nozzle, replaces the gas cap and heads for his car door.

Don’t do it, Lady, he thinks as he yanks back on the door handle. But she does it.

“Excuse me,” she says.

Herb stops, shuts his eyes. Breathe. He looks at her and smiles, but receives no smile in return. Instead he gets the look of curiosity, only magnified. She is within mere feet of him now and those squinted eyes show crow’s feet attached. Her mouth is open, lower jaw just hanging there lazily as she thinks.

“Are you…?” she begins, but then stops. And right at that very moment, Herb can feel the cold steel of the switchblade in his pocket. Hey, it’s saying to him. Come and get me.  



A Word From the Author

1. Did you always want to be an author?
Funny story. When I was a kid – maybe six or seven years old – my mom told me I should be a writer. I always made up these crazy stories. One year I told some elaborate story on Easter morning about the Easter Bunny coming into my room and rubbing noses with me. It made my sisters furious. But writing stories didn’t sound appealing. School was a drag and the idea of writing on my own time sounded horrible. Nearly thirty years later, I can’t find enough time in my day to write. 

2. Tell us about the publication of your first book.
Let’s just say I’ve never been a person with much patience. My first book was self-published and the whole publication process took about a week. I didn’t market, didn’t promote, didn’t do anything but create the book and put it online. Needless to say, my sales were pretty dismal. I’ve learned my lesson. 

3. Besides yourself, who is your favorite author in your genre?
I try to read widely and have found many writers – some famous and some that deserve to be so – that have captured my interest: William Landay, James Patterson, Paula Hawkins, Reed Farrel Coleman, Nick Pirog, Pamela Callow…the list goes on.  

4. What’s the best part of being an author? The worst?
The best part is the potential to have people fall in love with your work. To have people who just crave your next piece of writing. But the worst is the realization you get when trying to become a full-time author that there a TON of people trying to become authors, and we’re all trying to fight for a select few positions. It’s tough to have your work seen due to the amount of competition. But that’s to be said in any industry, I guess. 

5. What are you working on now?
I’m currently finishing up another mystery/suspense/thriller centering around a struggling writer who needs to take his books to the next level to make them more believable, so he begins to kill people so his writings can be more authentic.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

John Feldman was born and raised in southern New Jersey, but has since moved to Florida at the request (demand) of his beautiful wife. He has written several short stories and novels, including his newest release, OUT OF HIDING. He writes a lot, thinks a lot more, and is currently wondering why he’s writing this in the third person.

For more information, visit www.johnfeldman.com, or email him directly at askjohn@johnfeldman.com. 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/john.feldman.5686
Twitter: @johnfeldman_
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/John-Feldman/e/B00JG75SCI
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6036936.John_Feldman

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

John Feldman will be awarding a $50 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Saturday, April 28, 2018

Snippet Sunday and Weekend Writing Warriors


Welcome to Snippet Sunday and Weekend Writing Warriors, your chance to sample the work of a talented group of authors. When you finish here you can find more excerpts at:

http://www.wewriwa.com
https://www.facebook.com/groups/SnippetSunday/


Buy link:  http://amzn.to/2cuW4rw

Blurb:

Jenna West has no idea what she might have done to her new tenant Mike Hightower. He's surly and hateful every single time they meet, and he looks at her as though he despises her.

He does despise her. She's from the Middle East, and people like her killed his friend Ramirez when the army sent them to Iraq.

Will the power of love work its magic to soften Mike's bitter hatred, or will he ignore his growing attraction for his pretty landlady?

Last Week:


This week: I'm skipping some paragraphs this week. Mike goes to a locally famous hamburger joint for lunch and to find a phone. While he's there he thinks of Ramirez, and the depth of his feeling toward the people of the Middle East is revealed. 

His mood darkened. He and Ramirez had visited a similar place when they went through boot camp together. If he lived to be a hundred, he’d never understand those Iraqis. If not for them and the other fanatics in the Middle East, Ramirez would still be alive. His heart burned with resentment. Ramirez was worth more than the whole dang country of Iraq, but thanks to those savages, Ramirez would never see his child grow up. He’d never hold his wife again, and he’d never thump a friend on the shoulder and tell fishing stories to him.

Saturday Sample: Purple Heart


Welcome to Saturday Sample. Today we'll continue with excerpts from Purple Heart my Wild Rose Press release. Hope you enjoy it.

Buy link:  http://amzn.to/2cuW4rw

Blurb:

Jenna West has no idea what she might have done to her new tenant Mike Hightower. He's surly and hateful every single time they meet, and he looks at her as though he despises her.

He does despise her. She's from the Middle East, and people like her killed his friend Ramirez when the army sent them to Iraq.

Will the power of love work its magic to soften Mike's bitter hatred, or will he ignore his growing attraction for his pretty landlady?

Last Week:


This week: Mike goes to a local hangout for lunch and thinks of his friend Ramirez.

His mood darkened. He and Ramirez had visited a similar place when they went through boot camp together. If he lived to be a hundred, he’d never understand those Iraqis. If not for them and the other fanatics in the Middle East, Ramirez would still be alive. His heart burned with resentment. Ramirez was worth more than the whole dang country of Iraq, but thanks to those savages, Ramirez would never see his child grow up. He’d never hold his wife again, and he’d never thump a friend on the shoulder and tell fishing stories to him.

Thursday, April 26, 2018

Moonlight City Drive


Moonlight City Drive
by Brian Paone

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GENRE: Crime/Thriller Romantic Paranormal

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BLURB:

11:18 p.m. Subject is checking into the Desert Palms Motel, accompanied by an unknown female.

Snapshot in the parking lot. Man and woman embrace. Betrayal, I see it every day, like my own reflection in the mirror staring back at me. Another case, another bottle of booze, life is no longer a mystery to me …

… Because I’m the private eye, hot on your trail; the top gun for hire. You’ll find me lurking in the shadows, always searching for a clue. I’m the bulletproof detective. I got my eye on you …

What’s a little sin under the covers, what’s a little blood between lovers? What’s a little death to be discovered, cold stiff body under the covers?

I’m digging you a desert grave, underneath the burning sun. You won’t be found by anyone. Vultures circle in the sky, and you, my dear, are the reason why.

… I was always easily influenced.

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EXCERPT:

Smith twisted the key as hard as he could and heard a popping noise as the locking mechanism finally gave way. He pushed open his office door and entered the dark room. He tossed his keys onto his desk; they slid a short distance before a stack of time-faded papers and case-file folders abruptly stopped them.

Flicking the light switch, the room illuminated with an anemic-brown glow from the single dusty bulb. He took a step toward the coffee percolator on the windowsill, and his toe caught the corner of a tied-up pile of newspapers dating back at least ten years.

Smith exhaled loudly with a frustrated grunt and kneeled beside the newspaper bundle; the air escaping from his lungs carried the stench of day-old consumed alcohol, topped off with more last night that led to closing time this morning. He really hadn’t slept. He napped for a couple hours, then came here. He removed the Swiss Army knife from his pants and cut the twine, freeing the newspapers, watching as they avalanched to the floor.

He used his palm to shuffle and smear the newspapers around his office floor. His gaze quickly scanned his name plastered on all the headlines, praising the ex-deputy-now-turned-private-eye for all the scum he had gotten off the street, as well as locating abducted kids, reuniting long-lost biological parents of orphans, and exposing spouses who may have forgotten their vows. Smith had seen more than he cared to remember while he had been a sheriff’s deputy and could now safely check the box marked Seen It All since becoming a private eye.


A Word With the Author

What is the sweetest thing someone has done for you?
-        My beautiful wife has given me four amazing children. And fellow author Justin Ames have me a $25 gift certificate to Taco Bell. I feel those are in line with each other.

How would you spend ten thousand bucks?
-        I’d be 1/3 the way to buying my 1983 DeLorean!

Where do you get your best ideas?
Song lyrics. As a rock-fiction author, which means I adapt albums or songs into novels or short stories, my best ideas come from either listening to an album while driving around or while wearing headphones and blasting my favorite bands. It’s the same approach as a film being adapted from a novel; I just take albums and adapt them into novels. (Think if Pink Floyd’s The Wall or The Who’s Tommy were turned into novels instead of films and plays.) Two of my four novels (and all 4 of my published short stories) are rock-fiction adaptations.
What comes first, the plot or characters?
-        A hybrid of the two. I think the way the characters are going to react to the plot is what I tackle first. Then I build their character development around how they are going to act, and I build the plot around what would make them act that way.

What does your main character do that makes him/her special.

-        My antagonist can summon a cult of ghouls to help him with his Jack-the-Ripper-style killings. The catch is, whoever he kills, is reborn into his cult. My protagonist can separate the difference between moral and evil, even if it’s “illegal.” Together, they are a perfect storm and a dangerous combination. And then there’s the leader of the cult. She’s just a bitch.



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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Brian Paone was born and raised in the Salem, Massachusetts area. Brian has, thus far, published four novels: a memoir about being friends with a drug-addicted rock star, Dreams are Unfinished Thoughts; a macabre cerebral-horror novel, Welcome to Parkview; a time-travel romance novel, Yours Truly, 2095, (which was nominated for a Hugo Award, though it did not make the finalists); and a supernatural, crime-noir detective novel, Moonlight City Drive. Along with his four novels, Brian has published three short stories: “Outside of Heaven,” which is featured in the anthology, A Matter of Words; “The Whaler’s Dues,” which is featured in the anthology, A Journey of Words; and “Anesthetize (or A Dream Played in Reverse on Piano Keys),” which is featured in the anthology, A Haunting of Words. Brian is also a vocalist and has released seven albums with his four bands: Yellow #1, Drop Kick Jesus, The Grave Machine, and Transpose. He is married to a US Naval Officer, and they have four children. Brian is also a police officer and has been working in law enforcement since 2002. He is a self-proclaimed roller coaster junkie, a New England Patriots fanatic, and his favorite color is burnt orange. For more information on all his books and music, visit www.BrianPaone.com



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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.



a Rafflecopter giveaway


Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Dead Giveaway


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Diane will be awarding a $15 in Boroughs Bucks + a copy of Flash Point to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other tours on the stop.

THE WORST THING THAT CAN HAPPEN

If asked, Gwendolyn Ballard would admit she co-parented her best friend Chloe's son, Cameron. Now Gwen is all he's got as they flee from the man who murdered his mother. There's only one place Cameron will be safe, and that's with his uncle, Elijah MacElvoy. Arriving on his doorstep at the Broken Arrow Ranch is a desperate decision, and Gwen knows he'd slam the door in her face if she didn't have his nephew with her. But she'll do anything for Cam, even if it means putting up with Elijah's distrust and judgment.

Chloe's dead. Cam's orphaned, and Elijah is confronted with the prospect of living with the one woman who's driven him crazy for the past ten years. He'll fight to keep her safe. That's encoded in his DNA. But can he trust her with a little boy who just lost his mother? As Eli watches how Gwen loves and cares for his nephew, he reevaluates his thinking and gives in to the smoldering attraction he felt the first time he saw her. With so much on the line, Eli comes clean about his past, making way for a future that's all about silver linings.

Enjoy an Excerpt

In the long, drawn-out moment that Eli stared at her, she saw something flicker in his expression. The flint gray eyes she remembered so well seemed to burn over her, his scrutiny like a physical touch. Gwen kept her feet locked to the ground even as the insane urge to turn and run surged through her.

He shifted his gaze to Cameron, then back to her. Cameron’s death grip nearly cut off the circulation in her fingers.

“Gwendolyn.” His deep voice held a timbre that, despite their mutual animosity, had always sent warm shivers down her spine.

“Elijah.” She held her breath as tension swelled, and waited for the door to slam in their faces. He stepped back.

“We can come in?”

With a mocking look, he opened the door wider. She let out her breath in a shaky sigh. Two dogs, the larger a Rottweiler mix, the smaller a fluffy black and white terrier, sat at alert, the terrier all but quivering in excitement. Stepping into the warm house, Gwen felt the fear and panic she’d been carrying ease a fraction, leaving behind an aching exhaustion. For tonight at least, she and Cameron were safe.

The dogs sat with butts planted. Keeping Cameron at her side, she held out a hand to each of them to let them get her scent.

Nerves jumping, Gwen straightened. She hadn’t seen Eli for over five years and the subtle signs of the passing of time were evident. While he still maintained the rangy, lean build he carried on a tall frame, his face showed fine lines fanning out from narrowed eyes. He wore his straight brown hair longer than she remembered, combed back except for where it fell across his forehead.

His bearing, the way he carried himself, made her think of a cowboy sheriff in the old West, tough and unshakable. After the terror of the past days, she needed someone with that unyielding steadfastness on her side. She really hoped that he would be on her side.

She could see the questions in the hooded eyes, but he didn’t ask why she had shown up at his door.

Cameron gave his uncle a cautious look. Eli must have sensed the boy’s reserve, because he crouched down on one knee. Gwen watched, curious as to how he would interact with his nephew.

“Cameron, this big guy is Bubba, and the little one is Oreo.” Eli’s voice was low and calming.

“Oreo?” Cameron leaned down to pet the little dog. “That’s because he’s black and white, right?” Oreo reached out a tongue to lick his hand.

Eli’s features softened fractionally. “Yeah, that’s right.”

Cameron flashed a brief smile, one of the first Gwen had seen in days. Eli rose and led them into the room. The entryway opened to a comfortable living room with a large couch and a recliner that invited curling up with a good book. A fire warmed the room from behind a wrought-iron screen, and a large area rug in front of it covered the knotted-pine floor. Even if Eli wasn’t exactly welcoming, his house felt homey.

“What took you so long to get here?” The abrupt question startled her. He had been expecting them? The idea that he had somehow known she would come to him, had been waiting for her, unsettled her, like there was some unspoken connection between them. And that didn’t bear thinking about.

About the Author:
National Readers' Choice Award winner for her novel, Solitary Man, Diane Benefiel has been an avid reader all her life. She enjoys a wide range of genres, from westerns to fantasy to mysteries, but romance has always been a favorite. She writes what she loves best to read – emotional, heart-gripping romantic suspense novels. She likes writing romantic suspense because she can put the hero and heroine in all sorts of predicaments that they have to work together to overcome.

A native Southern Californian, Diane enjoys nothing better than summer. For a high school history teacher, summer means a break from teenagers, and summer allows her to spend her early mornings immersed in her current writing project. With both kids living out of the house, in addition to writing, she enjoys camping and gardening with her husband. Diane loves hearing from her readers.

Website: http://www.dianebenefiel.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DianeBenefielRomance
Twitter: http://twitter.com/dianebenefiel
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/diane_benefiel
Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/author/show/8075321.Diane_Benefiel
BookBub: http://www.bookbub.com/authors/diane-benefiel
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/diane_benefiel

BUY LINKS:

http://boroughspublishinggroup.com/books/dead-giveaway
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/dead-giveaway/id1364342350?mt=11
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1128301685?ean=2940155188841
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/dead-giveaway-22
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/807754
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C97NJ64

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